Restless
by ChloboShoka
Summary: Iris becomes curious about Silver a year after his is accused of murdering Kris. Her curiosity leads them both discovering that they have been chosen to be partners in the upcoming Heart Bond Tournament.
1. Restless

**Restless**

The man looks lonely. No one dared to approached him. I wonder why nobody will come forward and offer him something? The whispers float around him as if he had composed a massacre. I don't understand what the fuss was all about: he looks like just a cute guy to me. Adorable, but moody. I'm sure he has a wonderful smile. I asked my friends and all they said was to be wary of the man. They would not tell me what he has done, which has made me even more curious about the man. I have an urge to know more.

They called him Silver. I heard he was a son of the Team Rocket boss. It seems as if they have judged him based on his family. This is so unfair, I thought. I like some good gossip now and again, but I think this is cruel. How would they feel if they were in Silver's shoes? Always being compared to your father and always assumed you are a criminal at birth. My heart goes out to him. All these people quit to talk about him, without even knowing him properly are beginning to make me bite my tongue. What I think makes it even more sad is that Silver seems to be used to the vicious tongues. He must get that all the time. But what on earth is he doing sitting on that rock in the pouring rain? His red hair was beginning to frizzle up and strands were starting. Everyone began to mind their own business again as the rain forced it's way on the ground.

The winter wind splattered frosty raindrops and the voice of the sea sung a storm. The thunder strikes reminded me of when Olivine City had a lot of media coverage this time last year. A murder took place in the lighthouse and the victim's body was dumped in the ocean. The prime suspect was someone who looked very similar to Silver. It might have actually have been Silver, but if he was cleared, then surely they would have moved on by now.

The victim was a young woman named Kris. She had the same colour hair as me, but had a much brighter shade. I don't know that much about the case myself but I have a feeling that Silver is innocent. I don't even know him, but it's that strong instinct thumping inside of me. I stared at the door for just a few moments. Then scurried outside. I smiled as I opened the door. I didn't wish to appear weird to Silver. He didn't seem to notice me as he gazed at the waters.

I crept behind. He was yet to turn around. I knew what the people would say if they saw me. They would label me as a silly girl. I may not have the best behaviour in the world, but I consider myself to be cheerful. I felt the words I wanted to speak, but my lips were sealed.

"Aren't you cold?" Silver asked. His soft spoken words startled me. Now he had my attention, I feel compelled to prove his innocence. Still his back faced me as he gazed into the sea. Perhaps he was paying attention after all.

"I was just about to ask you the same question," I replied. "Why don't you come in?" I held onto his arm and managed to capture his eye-contact.

"I am fine," Silver replied. "Thank you for your concern."

"No problem."

"You seem scared."

"I'm not..."

"It's understandable," Silver interrupted. "I've seen greater wimps in my time."

"What's that suppose to mean?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow. If he was referring to the gossiping crowds in the restaurant then I must say he has a point.

"Nevermind," Silver responded. His face staring straight out to sea.

"You must really like the sea," I said, "me too." I had a feeling that I was beginning to annoy him, but I didn't want to leave him alone. The cold wind dances around us, making the rain feel like ice.

"It's all right, I guess." He got an umbrella from out of his pocket and passed it to me. "Perhaps you should go back inside," he suggested. "If you wish to stay, you may use my umbrella."

I accepted it, smiled and said, "Thanks a lot."

"No problem."

Our first meeting seemed to be going fine, but I know it could be better. I dislike these awkward moments of silence. I wondered if last year's murder and the suspect were related to him, but I felt that it was too soon to bring it up. I had to make sure this is not the last time we meet. I had become interested in him. I'm not sure how or why, but I had to follow my instinct.

"I shall leave for now," Silver said. "I may see you later, I may not. Farewell..."

"Iris," I said. "My name is Iris."

"Farewell for now Iris," Silver said as he marched to the beach. "My name is Silver. Yes I was arrested for a murder that happened last year in case you were wondering." This is the type of guy that I should avoid, but I think I like him. I pout as I watch him walk away. The danger was attractive but the risk was worth taking. The short conversation was intense with comfortable tension. The more I think about it, the more complicated it seems. I can't say it's romantic: it's far too soon.

Or is it?


	2. Article

**Chapter Two**

There was no physical evidence to suggest that Silver had killed Kris. All they had was weak circumstantial evidence that Silver's father was Giovanni, Kanto's most wanted man. Giovanni was once leader of a criminal organisation called Team Rocket, but since his defeat, many of his crew man had been either arrested or joined other teams. In Johto, a man matching Silver's description had kidnapped a pokemon in Professor Elm's office. Professor Elm decided not to press any charges, although a boy named Ethan claimed to have seen Silver murder Kris.

I had never even heard of Silver until the news of the murder hit international news. I only knew what the media told me, but something inside me gave me the feeling that Silver was innocent. He may not have been a saint, but it wasn't fair to be called a murderer just because his father was a criminal. I began to flip over the pages of the local newspaper once more. His picture next to Kris was there again.

_They Will Not Rest Until Kris Has Justice_

_A campaign has taken place in New Bark Town to rearrest a man called Silver for the murder of Kris Crystal last year. It has been confirmed that Silver is the biological son of Kanto's most wanted man. Silver was arrested for the murder, but was released due to the lack of evidence. The police are continuing their search for any evidence and information and plead the public to keep an eye out for anything suspicious regarding the matter. _

"You're quite a nosey girl aren't you?"

"I was just reading the local newspaper," I replied. I quickly tumbled the pages over to the fashion section. "Don't you want to sit down?"

"We need to stop meeting up like this," Silver suggested. He remained standing up and looked down on me on the bench. "People will assume we're up to something."

"You don't seem to be the type of person who really cares?"

"You do though."

"So what brings you here?" I asked.

"I'm here to do some training," Silver replied. "I take it that is why you are here too?"

"I live around here," I replied.

"Hmm...I must go," Silver said. He didn't seem to be interested with me. Perhaps I should leave him alone. "I have no time for wimps like you."

"Hey!" I shouted. "I'm not a wimp!"

"Then prove it," Silver announced. He held his pokeball in the air and declared, "Come and battle with me... if you think you're good enough."

We stared at each other. His eyes pierced at me, and I could feel the shivers down my spine. He may be hot, but I will not allow him to intimidate me like that. Silver grinned as if he knew that he was going to slay me. Still, I'm going to try my best. I can't walk away from this, it would go against everything I believed in. "Fine Silver," I said with a smile. "I accept your challenge."


	3. Battle

**Chapter Three **

He stamped his foot and grinned. He had already chosen a pokemon to battle with already. He raised his ball at the level of his eyes. His slender eyes piercing at me. Now I was the one to smile as I lifted my chin up. There had been silence since I accepted his challenge, but I had a gut feeling that this was going to be a one on one.

_No substitutes._

_No items._

_No surrender._

Silver removed the ball from his hand and out came a purple blob of danger packed with a pair of legs, a spiky back, red eyes and a mischievous grin. Huge, but weightless. He bowed his head as a symbol for my turn.

I unleashed Haxorus from it's ball. She roared as her tail bashed the groud forming a mudslide. During the time when I travelled with Ash and Cilan, I carried Haxorus' father in my arms. Haxorus had her father's eyes and mother's guts. Something my grandfather said to me too.

Genger floated towards Haxorus and bowed. Haxorus lowered her head and wiggled it's tale. Silver took a step back and his eyes widened. He pointed at me and Haxorus, expecting his genger to attack without any instructions. But as I, the girl who knows the heart of the dragons can tell that Haxorus wants to play with Gengar. By nature, they were both powerful species. My haxorus was a physical attacker, whilst Silver's gengar was a special sweeper.

"Show them what you're made off," Silver requested with his hands by his side. Genger's grin became tightened as he grabbed onto Haxorus' tail and twirled her across the grass.

She skidded on the floor and cried. They both became surrounded by a violet aura as they spun faster and faster. "That's it!" Silver's voice was soft yet energetic. "Spin her into confusion."

I begged Haxorus to get out. Perhaps Gengar's psychic powers had blocked her hearing. There was a voice in my head telling that that I should stop it, but I could see a hole in Silver's plan. He knew that Haxorus had a strong physical attack and they were taking advantage of it by weakening our defence. Attack might be their best form of defence, but is defence is not their best form of attack. "PROTECT YOURSELF HAXORUS!" I yelled. I clenched my fists together.

I wasn't going to let Silver win that easilly.

Meanwhile Silver remained calm. His shoulders laid back with his hands by his side.

"It's pointless, Iris..." Silver announced. "You know that I'm going to win this battle."

"We'll have to wait and see," I said. I chuckled. I love how smug he is. He clearly thinks that he's going to win. "Get the ground shaking!" I shouted at the top of my voice.

"It won't work," Silver said. "Genger can levitate."

Strings of grass and dirt implouded as Genger tripped and fell onto Haxorus' stomach. Haxorus rolled about and hardened it's claws. I felt thunder beneath my feet and I could see Silver's legs drop to the floor. He gritted his teeth and tried to pretend that he never fell. The purple aura faded and Haxorus was freed from Genger's grasp.

"Break the mold and fling those clumps of rocks at Gengar," I told Haxorus with force. "It's payback time!"

Silver remained silent. as he remained on his bended knee.

"DESTINY BOND IT..." Silver shrieked, hoping to at least make the battle a draw. He froze as his pointed fingers slumbered by his waist. Genger spinning Haxorus around made her feel lightheaded and therefore feel more speedier than ever. The whirlwind of rocks knocked Gengar against the tree before he even got a chance to attack. Haxorus jumped to her feet and kept a keen eye on her oppenent, who was currently a purple pancake stuck to the tree.

Exhausted, Genger peeled himself off the tree and tumbled to the floor. it was a close call, but I had won this battle. I looked up to the orange sky and faced Haxorus and applauded her. Silver called Genger back into it's ball. I did repeated it. I enjoyed that battle, but I couldn't help but feel that it had gone too fast. For me, it was a sign of a good battle. It was interesting how we barely spoke to one another during the battle although he did try and intimidate me. Silver marched towards me and shook my hand.

Smug yet gracious in defeat, he whispered into my ear and said, "you just got lucky."


	4. Invitation

**Chapter Four**

After the battle the pair of us were greeted by a strange man. He tried to make his enthusiasm contagious. He was strapped in a large leather coat which made his long spiky hair stand out from the damaged park. His blue eyes widened as he clapped his hands and said, "that was a wonderful show. I've never seen such a remarkable battle with pokemon."

"Thank you," I said to the man. Silver turned around and stood by my side. He bowed his head as his shoulders moved up.

"Strong kids like you are the kind of people that I'm looking for," the man told us. His friendly smile suddenly melted away into a cheeky grin. I took one quick glance at Silver and knew by the fierce expression on his face that he didn't like the man. The man took another step closer to us with his hands in his pocket. "You see, there is a tournament going on."

"What kind of tournament?" Silver asked in advance.

"An epic tournament!"

"Explain what you mean by epic?" Silver requested. He was laughing at the man, I could just tell. But since he said the word tournament, his was all ears. Maybe if we hear more about this tournament, we may end up taking part of it and battling each other again. Silver could win, and I would be his biggest rival.

"The Heart Bond Tournament organised by Super Smash Brothers," the man said. He pulled out two black shiny tickets from his pocket. "I believe that your names are Iris and Silver?"

"Indeed." With Silver's response. The man handed us the tickets in a flash. I remained silent as the space between me and Silver closed. The ticket in my hand gave me a fuzzy feeling. I held the ticket with both hands and began to read the small gold print.

Dear Iris Shaga,  
>You have been nominated to take part in The Heart Bond Tornament by an anonymous person because of your outstanding contributions to your community.<p>

After careful consideration from the Super Smash Brothers, we have decided to invite you to take part in the 500th Heart Bond Tournament, which will take place in Entralink Castle.

Your partner, should you choose to accept will be Silver Rocket. We hope to see you in Entralink Castle as soon as possible. Report to reception and show your ticket and you will be given instructions for the duration of the tournament.

Congratulations, and we hope to see you soon.

Yours Sincerely,  
>Master Hand<p>

I took a brief look over Silver's shoulder and he had the exact same ticket as mine, only our names where the other way around of course. To be honest, I've never heard of anything about this Heart Bond Tournament. I must have looked dazed and confused to the guys.

"So about this Heart Bond Tournament," Silver spoke. "Will the people invited just be pokemon trainers?"

"As far as I know you'll be the only pokemon trainers there," the man confirmed. "And if I were you, I'd go for it. You'll be meeting and challenging a variety of creatures. Cracking a plethora of puzzles and completing missions of various natures." The man walked behind us and wrapped his arms around us both as if we were best friends. Silver looked like he wanted to spit at him with those wary eyes. "Do you fancy a lift there?"

"No thank you," Silver replied. He snapped out of the bond and leaped over a stump. He grabbed a ball from his pocket and said, "We can fly there."

"Hmm." The man clicked his fingers and before them a black portal sparkling purple thunder appeared. "This portal shall take you there in around five seconds."

Silver placed the ball back on his belt and stared at me. He tilted his head and asked, "What do you want to do, Iris?"

I gasped and shook my head. The look Silver gave me felt like something had stabbed me in the chest. He frowned, starting to get a little inpatient. I know what decision I was going to make, but I felt Silver had frozen me.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the portal shrinking in size. My heart skipped a beat. I scurried over to Silver, grabbed his hand and whacked ourselves into the portal. Silver and I had bashed into each other. Our bodies clashed into each other. We were overheated as portal quickly chewed us in and spat us back out.

The man didn't come with us. We didn't even know his name. Silver didn't seem to care less. We were quickly brought back to life with the greeting from the receptionist. She was a tall white duck who could stand up.

"Good afternoon, welcome to Entralink Castle," the duck said. "My name is Daisy, how can I help you?" She spoke in a sincere manner. Her purple blazer made her look very smart.

"Hello," I said. I placed my hands on the desk and told Daisy, "We're here for The Heart Bond Tournament."

"Oh wonderful," Daisy said. "Do you have your tickets?" I passed Daisy my ticket as Silver walked to the counter and showed Daisy her ticket too. He was trying hard not to be bored with those muffled sighs. Daisy inspected both tickets, and then wrote our names down on some piece of paper. She looked up to us and smiled. "Okay here are your tickets if you would like to go to your left, Kirby will take you to your seats.

A round pink ball with feet, eyes and a big mouth led us into the hall. The hall was so massive that I could fit too of my gyms there. The crowds of people make everything look like a maze. Kirby was trying to find us empty seats for us.

The atmosphere in the hall was incredible. The chandeliers swaying on the ceiling, the glamorous paintings on the wall and the ruby linings on the marble floor. I had noticed that a lot of people had given Silver judgemental glares. Silver shook them off as if they didn't effect him. For some reason it was bugging me.

Silver was the only person in the room that I knew. But do I really know him as well as I think I do?

Eventually Kirby found us a seat in the front row. By coincidence it was a table for two. Silver and I sat on these chairs and remained silent. Then all became black.

A giant white hand tumbled down onto the stage providing the only light in the room.


	5. Induction

**Chapter Five**

"Ladies and gentlemen," roared a voice that echoed around the hall. I could only assume it was the voice of Master Hand. "What a show we have for you! And guess who's going to be the stars? Yes! All of you in this room." Master Hand flipped over on the spot and bounced up to the chandelier. "You have all been nominated to take part in the 500th Heart Bond Tournament. A challenge full of guts and glory."

A sound of thunder made me jump to the edge of my seat. Silver ignored me and had his head resting on his right arm. Master Hand dived into the stage and levitated to prevent crashing. His fingers tingled around the rims of the stage.

"What on earth is he doing?" I heard Silver mutter. "Can't we just get on with it?"

"By the end of The Heart Bond Tournament, your bond with your partner will never be the same again." What Master Hand had just said had left me into a pickle. Silver and I had only met recently, so what does he mean by that? Not romantically does it? I guess only time could tell on this one. "The winning couple shall receive luxury prizes."

Master Hand responded to the silence of the crowd with, "prizes will be revealed in due time." He slid over to his left and a distorted slideshow introducing the tournament gave me something other than Silver to have my eyes on.

"In the meantime, let's talk about what will happen. Throughout the tournament, you will be judged by four judges who will look upon your performances. The four couples with go through to the semi finals and the final two couples will take part in a race.

Now there are some terms and conditions that apply and these include:

- The only way to drop out of the contest is death.

- Couples are fixed and cannot be changed.

- Sex is strictly forbidden.

- Judges cannot nominate people for the tournament.

- No communication from the outside world until earned.

- Each person is allowed one weapon. This means that each couple should have two weapons between them. Creatures and magical companions such as pokemon, digimon ect also count as weapons.

Now onto the rounds. They will all be available in the notebooks provided in your rooms. You will be provided with your room numbers shortly, where you will stay for the progression of the tournament.

Thank you for listening, and I wish you all good luck."

Master Hand vanished into the darkness, which became shallowed by the lights of the chandelier. The noise returned and left a bigger impact in my head. The rules seem simple, but I don't know why they even have to ban sex. It's not like people have sex in tournaments. At least... I hope not.

Four adults walked up to the stage. One of them included the man who gave us our tickets. Silver smirked as soon as he saw the blonde woman in black. He leaned closer to me and whispered, "that woman there is Cynthia. She's the Champion of Sinnoh."

"I've seen her before," I replied. "She knocked grandfather's pokemon in under a minute."

"She's a very strong trainer," Silver reminded me. "She's on my to battle list."

We watched Cynthia speak onto the microphone. Her voice chimed into the microphone and everyone began clapping as if she was about to give out a speech for winning an Oscar.

"It is with great pleasure to reveal ourselves as the judging panel for this year's Heart Bond Tournament. I am Cynthia, a pokemon master in Sinnoh. I will be judging you all based on the chemistry between you and your partner. After all, you won't be able to win if the chemistry between you is wrong."

Cynthia passed the microphone to the man we saw. He placed it to his mouth with a smile on his face as he announced his name. "Hello, my name is Axel and I will be judging you on your teamwork."

The man next to Axel was dressed in magenta and stood out with a white fluffy cravat. "Edgeworth," the man said. "Miles Edgeworth. Barrister for the central areas of Japan and California. I will be judging you based on your logic."

The last judge was a hobo. I saw Silver sneer at his aqua hat, torn sandles and grey hoodie. "I'm Phoenix Wright and I will be looking for evidence to support your actions as a pair."

Was it just me or did that not make sense? So we're being judged on chemistry, teamwork, logic and evidence? All four of them go hand and hand together. Teamwork, logic and chemistry are evidence. Just... what's going?

"I thought you said you wasn't a wimp?" Silver whispered.

"No I'm not..." I muttered back.

"You look like you've seen a spritomb," Silver responded. He raised his eyebrow. "You're scared. Trying to be something you're not is bad for you."

Great. He's starting to see right through me.

Meanwhile, Master Hand's voice instructed us all to report back to reception. We were in double file all the way around the hall. Fortunately for Silver and I, we were near the front and didn't have to wait long to get our room number. We got room 24 located on the first floor in the west wing.

When Silver inserted our card key, the door slid open in an instant and slammed shut the moment we both walked into our room. The first thing we both did was look up to the ceiling in unison.

"Hideous room isn't it?" Silver remarked at the floral patterns and crystal chandeliers. "At least the bed looks adequate."

"I like the room," I said in it's defence. "It feels so historical and..."

"Girly?" Silver snapped. He hopped onto the king bed, stretched his legs and rolled over to the middle.

"Not quite the word I was looking for," I admitted. "But it works, I guess."

"On a serious note we have to decide which pokemon we're going to choose," Silver reminded me. "They're going to be our ultimate weapons."

"Don't call them that!" I yelled. "Sorry... I just hate it when people call pokemon weapons. They have feelings too."

"Quite attached to them aren't we?"

"Of course."

"Well since you're into your dragons I'm going to keep Kingdra. I'm guessing you'll use Haxorus."

"That's that settled then," I said. He didn't have to choose a dragon of the sea just to impress me. Or maybe it wasn't to impress me. I guess I never seemed to think of him as someone who would use Kingdra, but Silver likes power and dragons are very powerful. Though it's their hearts that contain the most power.


	6. Round One

Chapter Six

Every breathe in every waking hour I asked myself, what on earth did I get myself in? This was no dream and this was no game as far as I was concerned. This was a test; a test which I wasn't sure that I was going to pass or fail. Oh my goodness, am I thinking too much? Or am I not thinking enough? The rules of the tournament had been attached to the back of my mind. They sound so simple, yet strict at the same time. Out of all of the rules, the one that made me lose sleep was the first rule: Death was the only way to drop out.

I don't know how Silver could just sleep like that. Sleep knowing that his life was on the line. I wish I could sleep just as easily. We were both woken up at sunrise by gargoyles. Silver had skimmed though the books regarding the challenges. I still couldn't bring myself to turn even the tiny corners of the book. I wanted to call my grandfather, I wanted to let my friends now that I was fine. No... I'm not fine, but I'd feel even worse if I made them worried sick about me. They might still view Silver as a murderer. To be honest, I'm not quite sure if Silver did kill Kris or not. I had hoped that Silver would give me some details about the first round, but he grinned at me. It was as if he was expecting me to find out for myself.

The gargoyles escorted us from our rooms and lead us to the forest. All I could see was warriors around me, and cameras floating above me. I held onto Silver's arm and hovered behind his back. He tried to shrug me off and act cool about it. I want to believe that he's innocent, but I really just don't know. Nobody spoke a word to each other, other than the gargoyles instructing the contestants where to stand.

A booming voice echoed across the forest. I knew it was the Master Hand without even guessing. His laughter left a vibration effect on my ears.

"Good morning couples," Master Hand roared. "You have been summoned here to complete round one of the Heart Bound Tournament. Now in round one, the girls will be kick-boxing whilst the boys will search for ankle bracelets. The more ankle bracelets the boys collect, the stronger their female partner will become."

"On the count of three, the girls will kick and the boys will go hunting."

"One...Two...THREE!"

We were signaled to start by the sound of a pistol.

"KICK SERIOUS BUTT!" Silver roared at me as he raced into the forest. As the men and boys became swallowed by the claws of the forest. I was caught in the middle of a brawl. I examined the variety of dress sense between the girls. Some of us had already had an instant disadvantage, such as the tall lady in front of me in a dress. I didn't know anything about the lady, but from what I could tell, she was a princess. She was an easy target. It didn't seem fair to start on her because she was easy, but Silver wouldn't care. It didn't matter to him as long as he won.

Some of the girls were only happy to kick their opponents into oblivion, some of them stood patiently, some hid for the right moment whilst some where already crying on the floor crying their partner's names. The muscles in my leg began to clench so tight, I couldn't control them. It wasn't the shaky moments as if they were jelly, my legs behaved like a sword and felt like lumps of steel. Every time I tried to control my legs, they would just simply fly around to the point I felt like flying.

The princess just happened to be in the same direction as me. She looked at me with big blue eyes and tilted her blonde hair back. The toes of my feet smashed into her slender stomach. She moaned like a child and hit the ground. The apology was stuck inside my throat. As I turned my head, I could see her choke blood. I could feel my stomach sink and my heart jump.

I was suddenly surrounded by a circle of girls with their legs out like rockets. I crouched down onto the floor and rolled over the grass until I landed on a stump. I jumped up from the ground and from the distance I saw a mountain of women crumbling to the floor.

"Round one is now over!" Master Hand announced. "BOYS! If you currently have no ankle bracelets, then you and your partner have been eliminated from the tournament. Even if your ankle bracelets got lost or stolen during the round. If you are unconscious, then you're disqualified and eliminated too. Ladies, if you are unconscious or knocked out, then you have also been knocked out of the tournament. Anyone who is out of the running shall be automatically transported to their hotel room."

The ones that didn't make it were surrounded by white and transformed into tiny white stars that spread across the sky. I had opened my mouth in awe. Compared to the amount of people that were in the hall to the amount of girls that here right now, it was a massive decrease. Even when Silver and the boys return, it was still going to be a massive decrease. Maybe this was what the first round was all about, a process of cutting down the numbers. Perhaps it was to see which of the people nominated where worthy enough for the challenges ahead. Even though Silver and I had clearly passed the first round, I'm not sure if I want to be here. The challenge seemed unfair, too quick and the judges weren't even present. They may have been watching in another room. Where they all puppets of Master Hand?

The male survivors had been guided back by the gargoyles. Master Hand slammed his palm into a patch of grass and wiggled his fingers. Whilst some of the men had at least one to five bracelets, Silver had his thigh covered in them. No wonder the princess took a huge impact on the kick. I never knew her name, but I hope I didn't kill her. Just how... wait, I still don't know if Silver really is a killer, do I?

"Congratulations!" Master Hand said, "Three hundred couples knocked down to 50. This has really separated the weak from the champions." He chuckled, and continued with, "Only three fatalities so far. That's the lowest record so far. Now round two won't start"

Could I have been responsible for any of those deaths? The kick could have bruised the princess' internal organs to the point of death. Those girls who ganged up on me. A couple of them might have lost their lives from being crushed and their system just shut down. Am I no better than Silver, or am I worse?

What have I done?


	7. Rest

**Chapter Seven **

Phoenix Wright - one of the judges for the Heart Bond Tournament. The one who is assessing us based on evidence. I know him from somewhere before. I've heard his name. It must have been some years since I last heard his name, but I have a gut feeling that I've heard of him before. I just can't think of where. I passed out onto the bed. My hair covered Silver's chest.

"Did you know any of the judges before we came here?" I asked.

"Heard of Cynthia," Silver replied. "Not heard of the other three before."

"I feel like I know Phoenix from somewhere," I told him. "I just can't figure him out."

"I can do that," Silver announced. He shook his shoulders and whipped his hair back. "Phoenix Wright is a drunken fuck."

"You must have put a good fight in there," Silver said. I looked up to him and saw the most obvious smirk in the world. He was dangerous, and proud of it. "With all those anklets I collected."

"Don't start," I groaned. I held onto my stomach and leaned my head against the rim of the bed. "I could have killed someone today. That girl... she looked like a princess until I kicked her guts out." I was interrupted by Silver's chuckling. My back sprung up from the bed as I flipped over and held his arm. "Silver... it isn't funny. She was coughing up blood when I knocked her out. I didn't mean to do it either, I lost control of my whole body."

"I found some lads dead on the floor," Silver snapped. His sharp announcement followed a short laughter. "So I stole their anklets. I was challenged, but no one had the guts to confront me."

"You're not even trying to be sympathetic."

"I don't need to. All the weak ones got wiped out real quick."

"You talk as if you've been in the contest before?"

"I haven't," Silver admitted. "But I know what's it like to survive in hostile environments."

It didn't matter how tired I was, I had to listen to Silver. I needed to understand him if we're going to get through this tournament. Without any further warning I was pinned onto the bed by Silver's cold hands. It was as if I was slapped by a sheet of steel. He lit a cigarette and passed one over to me.

"You look like you need one," Silver said with a slow wink. He suddenly transformed from jerk-mode to Prince Charming. I looked at the white smoke whirling around us. As much as I wanted to resist, I snatched his cigarette and smoked it anyway. I had to try and look at things in his world, but the thing is, I still don't think I know him as well as I could. I know where he comes from, his name, address, occupation, pokemon team, his personality, so what else could I know about him? I can't help but feel that he has so much hidden.

What does he want from me?

What do I want from him?

The biggest fear I have at the moment is that I'm wasting my fears and thoughts on Silver. It's been difficult days. I'm not really wise, so it will be even harder to recover. But I think that we could have a future together after this tournament. I think I'd like us to hang out more often. The question is, how will Silver see me in five years time? Has it crossed his mind that I might be someone who could change his life?

"You love that cigarette," Silver assumed. "Normally people choke on their first cigarette."

"How did you know it was my first cigarette?" I asked.

"Because I know."

"Why don't we take a look at the notebook?" I asked.

"The one that you were too chicken to read?"

"Yes," I said and almost gulped at the same time.

Silver sighed and grabbed the notebook from the table. He took the cigarette off and turned the pages. "You'll like round two."

"What is it?"

"It's the Dream Maze!"

"Dream Maze?" I gasped and snatched the book off Silver. To my surprise, there was only five rounds and it claimed that the tournament would usually only last about two weeks. We've already completed round one, so I skimmed through that part. In the beginning of the notebook had all the list of winners, judges, rules and statistics. That was only half of the notebook, the rest was the rounds in greater detail. After stumbling on the pages, I found the page that I was hoping to find for; the one where they summed up all the rounds in general. The page had been set out like a menu, but it was a good layout for me to read and understand what was going on.

**Round Two: Dream Maze**

_This round will take part whilst both members of a pair are fast asleep. The contestants will during their dreams will walk into each other's dreams and the couples will work together to fight through the end of the maze. Be prepared for many fights and attacks. The nine couples to wake up advance to the next round, whilst the last couple is chosen by the judges._

**_Round Three: Fight  
><em>**

_A traditional double battle between ten couples. The winning side advances to the semi finals.  
><em>

_**Round Four (Semi-finals): Dance**  
><em>

_A classy and unusual round where five couples will dance to impress the judges. The two with the highest scores advance to the finals.  
><em>

_**Found Five (Final Round) : The Final Race**  
><em>

_The two remaining couples face the ultimate race.  
><em>

It seemed so easy on paper, but I knew that this tournament was much harder than it claimed to be. The Master Hand laughed it all off as if three deaths was normal. If a pokemon died at a tournament, they would have stopped it straight away. I guess it wouldn't even have been half as cruel if it was a pokemon tournament. I just hope that no one else dies, and that it's not by our hands.

"Remember this isn't a pokemon tournament," Silver told me. "This is to see if we really do have something going on."

Did he just read my mind?


	8. Round Two

**Chapter Eight**

As soon as I opened my eyes I knew that Silver and I were in the dream maze. The book stated very clearly that we would be walking into dreams. I could feel the weight of Silver's hand dragging me above the stinging nettles and the roses attached to purple spikes. Black heads suddenly appeared from the floor and revealed it's mouth. We were floating around as if we were underwater. My eyes drifted above the blue sky.

No clouds.

No sun.

No moon.

It was as if someone had painted the whole sky solid aqua. It should be a happy occasion, but something about it seemed so empty. It was as if the blue sky was about to fade to black. I knew all this enchanted atmosphere is all a dream. I felt it was forbidden to embrace it.

Our feet tumbled down from the light and back onto the floor. A large hand cleared the pesky plants away for us. Silver gasped and held my hand. He was silent, but I had a feeling that he was running away from the hand. It was as if he knew who the hand belonged to.

A gruelling bass and thunderous guitar sound invaded us. I gasped and saw pink musical notes danced out of my mouth. Silver huffed. The same thing was happening to him as well. Only the notes were blue instead of pink. I found it all to be weird and creepy, but I had to remember that this was a dream. Not just any old dream. A dream we had to wake up from.

"What's happening to me?" I said. At least that was what I thought I said. It turned out I was actually singing. I couldn't control it. I never realized how high my soprano range was. I felt like I was singing in an opera. My throat vibrated and my ears felt funny. "I'm singing... I don't usually sing like this. Well, I don't usually sing at all."

"One of us has dreamed about singing," Silver roared. His singing voice was deep and soulful. "My only dream is to become one of the most powerful trainers in the world. It has nothing to do with singing."

"Let's follow the path."

"Which path are you on about."

"The path to wake us up?"

"Iris... we're in a maze. There are many paths here. Which one do you want to go on? The right? The left? Backwards? Forwards?"

There was one dream I had where I had to follow a block of stairs. Long golden stairs. I had entered four rooms. Each room had a trainer that I defeated with ease. Then when I left the last room, the statue began to glow. I jumped on it and elevated me down to a block of golden stairs. I continued to go up the stairs until I woke up.

"We must follow the stairs."

"I don't see any stairs."

"I dreamed about it once. I followed a block of stairs and I woke up when I was at the top."

"Why would there be stairs in a maze?"

"The same reason why one hand can wipe all the poison away."

"Don't get too comfortable love..."

"Love?" We were still singing and the music notes swayed around us and popped like bubbles. It all felt like a world of pleasure. I just wanted Silver to sweep me up my feet. Knowing Silver's reputation, I would have to do something special to make him do that.

Black monsters hopped out from the bushes. A bombastic clash of violins forced my ears to bleed. I no longer felt weightless. I was a magnet and the floor was metal. I could feel the furry claws slap my back. I tried to drag myself away from them. They out-speed me with ease and it wasn't long before I was surrounded in them.

"Help!"

"COME ON OUT KINGDRA!"

The blue seahorse dragon was beautiful and magnificent. He swept the monsters away with a simple hydro pump. The wetness ensured I was no longer magnetic. I should have thought about sending Haxorus earlier, but I guess it doesn't matter know.

All was silent but the water levels gushing up above my neck. Luckilly I knew how to swim. Silver held onto Kingdra as they both swam towards me. I held onto Silver's tail and Kingdra zoomed across the the sea.

Gone were the bushes and there in front of them was a block of golden stairs. They were exactly like the ones that I had seen him my dream. They had returned. Now I can finally see what's behind those doors.

A tidal wave pushed all three of us on the stairs. I lept to my feet and quickly raced up the stairs. I heard Silver cry for Kingdra to return to his ball before he shouted at the top of his voice. "WAIT FOR ME IRIS!"

I turned my back and gazed over to Silver. I noticed there were stars on the staircases dazzling brighter as Silver got closer to me.

"So this was what you were on about?"

"Yes. Let's check it out."

"I think we should go back to the maze."

"Silver, we're still in the maze. This is the end of the maze."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just know."

We looked into each other's eyes and became oblivious to the ocean splashing our shoes. We held onto each other's hands and ran to the top of the stairs together. We barged into the black door only to fall into a black hole.

"What have you done?" Silver hissed. He tried to let go of my hand, but I ended up holding onto his leg.

"I followed my heart."

"Your dream may have lead us to losing."

"We might wake up."

"In hell."

"Don't talk like that Silver!" I begged. As we both continued to fall, I saw a vision of our bedroom raging closer to us. With my free arm, I tried to tap his shoulder to open his eyes. In the end, I pinched his bottom.

"Ouch!" Silver yelled. "What was that for?"

"Open your eyes," I said. "We're about to take up."

"Why should I listen to you?" I blinked as I heard Silver yell. I heard him gasp and fall on his feet. I blinked again. For some reason, I didn't feel any pain as I fell on the ground. "You were right."

I hugged the quilts below me and rolled about in the bed. I was tempted to bounce on the bed, but Silver wouldn't really appreciate that. I would call my friend Ash a silly little kid for doing that, and I think he was older than me.

"I wonder how everyone else did?" I asked. "I never saw anyone there."

Silver huffed as he grabbed onto the notebook. "This stupid book might tell us. It always changes every time I read it. It was empty when I first got it and now it's filled."

Silver slapped my arm. "Read this."

I jumped up and took a look at the pages Silver had shown me. It was our feedback from the judges. We would finally get to know if we got to the third round or not.

* * *

><p><strong>Round Two: Dream Maze<strong>

**Iris & Silver**

Teamwork

You both did a great job. Silver, you were great saving Iris from the heartless. As for you Iris, you were great at keeping your eye on the goal and hanging on to the dreams. That was the reason why you and Silver managed to beat the maze so quickly. The rest of them are still in the maze now.

But a word of advice, you should both trust each other a bit more. Take a chill pill. No need for the arguments all the time.

Axel

Chemistry

You both have fiesty personalities and you are both passionate about your goals. I sense that you both have a strong admiration in each other, but at the moment it's concealed by fear and uncertaintly. Silver, you must pursuade Iris to read the book more often to ease her fear and uncertainty. I know it's hard to you both, but keep on going. Some day soon, you'll realise your true feelings for each other.

Cynthia

Logic

I'm surprised that you two have gotten this far. The two of you still hardly know each other but you already know so much about one another. Although you have passed the first two rounds with ease, I believe that you won't be with us if you carry on this wreckless path. I don't understand you as a pair. Your partnership lacks logic.

Edgeworth

Evidence

There is clear evidence to suggest that Iris has a crush on you Silver. Sometimes you do silly things when you have a crush, but it managed to save you guys by the skin of your teeth. You did a good job on the dream maze. That is strong evidence for me to believe that you two have a special connection and that the Heart Bond Tournament has brought you two together. I'm looking forward to what you have to offer in Round 3.

Phoenix


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

Dream maze for breakfast, big war for lunch and a dazzling dance for dinner. The ultimate race was thrilling to say the least. Silver and I won the Heart Bound Tournament with ease. I feel as if the tournament had changed me. I felt as if Silver had changed me too. I felt stronger than I was when I was before I entered. The master hand claimed that Silver was my prize and that I was Silver's prize. But I don't see Silver as a prize, I see him as a person. A companion that I am to spend the rest of my life with.

Silver never killed Kris. She was killed in crossfire of an attempted bank robbery. Silver was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I'm no longer a gym leader: I'm a champion. When the league heard about my victory in the Heart Bond Tournament they offered me a position as the champion. Silver begged me to accept the position so I did. He said I would be a fool to refuse because of how strong I had become.

I like my life now. There will always be people who believe that Silver is a murderer, even if he was proved innocent. But that doesn't really matter to me. Being with Silver has made my life a little nit more extraordinary.


End file.
